Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.

I moved to Jax about 9 months ago and am having a very hard time finding a good gyno and dentist. I have been to North Florida OBGYN and Faben Gynecology. At North Florida OBGYN I was unimpressed with the staff. They were unprofessional and kind of rude, like they were doing me a favor just being there. The doctor was basically antisocial and was super awkward. Both my aunt and grandmother have had breast cancer and when I asked her about getting a mammogram she told me that there was no need for one and acted as if I was overly concerned. Faben was a little better but the staff is rude there as well and they are also very unprofessional. On my first visit I waited almost an hour and a half before I was seen. When I finally was seen, the staff just laughed it off and said it had been a busy day. The second time I went to Faben the nurse seemed to be in training or something and came in and out of the room (without knocking) at least 5 times to ask me random questions she had forgotten to ask such as my height, age, etc. The dentist I went to was the worst. It literally took 5 different staff members and god knows how many attempts just to take my x-rays. I felt like I had gone to some school clinic or something. The dentist took forever to see me and after I saw her I was supposed to get a cleaning. Turns out the hygienists had decided to leave early so basically my 2 1/2 hour apt was a waste of time. I really hope that someone can suggest a good dentist and gyno for me because I am about to lose hope.

Don't know where you live or how old you are. But - unless you need an OB - or currently have complicated GYN problems - there's no reason why a good PCP can't do your routine GYN stuff. My PCP does cervical and breast exams (I think PAP smears as well - I don't need PAP smears). If you need mammography (I do) - she will refer you to Mayo. When I developed a couple of pelvic cysts (which needed surgical removal) - she referred me to Dr. Anita Chen at Mayo.

Of course - a PCP can take care of the rest of you as well. Identify any other health issues you might have.

My PCP is Dr. Betty Mincey - and I think she's great. She's in JAX Beach (moving to a new office this week):

The North Florida OBGYN doctors have a lot of experience but I think they are just getting burned out. I made up my mind not to discuss any issues because its obvious they don't care. I'm just too old to change doctors.

Don't know how old you are - but I am 64. And there are new guidelines about eliminating certain routine tests for "women of a certain age". Also - the older you get - the more likely you are to have problems that aren't GYN related (especially if you've had your female plumbing removed - which is true of many of us). So - at a certain point - it's probably more important for a doctor to listen to your heart - check for signs of diabetes - etc. - etc. than to schlep to a GYN for a routine GYN exam (which many PCPs are perfectly capable of doing).

So it's not so much an issue of changing doctors as dropping the GYN and getting/keeping a PCP who does all the routine stuff you need.

FWIW - unless I was planning to have a baby - I wouldn't go to a doctor who does OB/GYN. The OB stuff (patients who need an OB can have very unpredictable problems/situations) is one reason someone who is just in for a routine GYN exam can sit waiting for 90 minutes for an appointment.

And - if you wind up needing GYN surgery - well lots of GYNs specialize these days. Some specialize in cancer - some in urogynecology - etc. So it's unlikely you'll want to use your regular OB/GYN if you need surgery.

BTW - I can put in a shameless plug here for Dr. Anita Chen at Mayo. Her specialty is urogynecology (I wound up with her because at first both I and my PCP thought that I had a prolapsed bladder). But she does other types of GYN surgery as well (although I think - am not sure - that other GYNs at Mayo handle cancer cases). She is talented and professional and conscientious. But she doesn't handle routine GYN care.

OTOH - I would never go to Mayo for routine GYN care (although I do go there for mammography). I used to go there for that. Mostly because the doctor who took out my plumbing in Miami (emergency surgery) - Dr. Sevin - moved to Mayo a year after I moved here. He kept me on as a patient for a while because I was a former patient. But - gradually - as Mayo grew - the routine exams were done by residents. And then my last one was done a nurse practitioner. No issues with the care. But the bill - which I had to pay out of pocket - hadn't met my deductible - was about 5 times higher than my PCP would have charged for the same stuff! FWIW - my old GYN (now retired) became a noted cancer surgeon. He perfected a technique for rebuilding a woman's bladder after radical cancer surgery. So it is understandable why he stopped doing any routine GYN exams. Robyn

Robyn-I have always went to someone other than my primary care physician for female related visits and I have always had a yearly exam which included a pap smear. It's just the norm for me. So, I would like to find a good gyno in the area for this reason. Plus, if I ever do decide to have children I will have already established a relationship with a gyno that I trust. Also, I am 25 and my aunt found out she had breast cancer when she was in her mid/early 30's so I just want to make sure I take any and all precautionary measures.

You might want to try Woman's Physician's of Jacksonville. Dr. Tim Baird is the most amazing doctor ever! Unfortunately, he is not my doctor due to insurance reasons, but before my insurance changed, he was my doctor and I love that man. I have friends that go to him and feel the exact same way. He listens to you, spends time with you, does not make you feel like you are crazy - he is just an awesome doctor!!! I don't know about the office staff there or the other doctors in the practice, but I do know that he is awesome! My current doctor is a member of the North Florida group and I really like him (he has delievered 3 or my 4 kiddos), but I can certainly see why some people would not like him - he is kind of like the Doctor from House - lucky for me, I think House is funny so I like my Doctor. But, Doctor Baird.....anyone would love that man! I strongly recommend you giving him a try. Their offices are located near St. Luke's.

Robyn-I have always went to someone other than my primary care physician for female related visits and I have always had a yearly exam which included a pap smear. It's just the norm for me. So, I would like to find a good gyno in the area for this reason. Plus, if I ever do decide to have children I will have already established a relationship with a gyno that I trust. Also, I am 25 and my aunt found out she had breast cancer when she was in her mid/early 30's so I just want to make sure I take any and all precautionary measures.

Then I wish you good luck in finding a good GYN.

With regard to the breast cancer - you may be a candidate for BRCA testing:

I have talked about Dentist in other post, so you can refer to them for details, But I like my dentist, Dr. James Kilcoyne, DDS located on Bay Meadows. I prefer a conservative Dentist over a proactive Dentist.

One other comment is about Robyn's P.S comment. I know from personal experience what she wrote while very sad it is also very true and nobody thinks about it. If you change medical insurance all you medical files, exams and prescribtion get examed. And I am talking about prescriptions you took years ago. When you go to a Doctor you should not have to worry about what you are telling him could effect your ability to get medical insurance, but it does. And in my case it was not like I did not have medical insurance. I was just going from universal to individual.

Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.